Explore Grand Teton National Park

Plantlife of Grand Teton NP

Over 1000 species of vascular plants grow in Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding area. Some trees, such as the Whitebark Pine, Limber Pine, Sub-alpine Fir, and Engelmann Spruce can survive the cold windy slopes and alpine zone high up in the Tetons to around 10,000 feet (~3000 m). Other evergreens, like the Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir, and Blue Spruce, are more commonly found on the valley floor, while the aspens, cottonwoods, alders, and willows prefer the moist soils found along the rivers and lakeshores.

Grand Teton forests generally contain two or three different types of trees growing together in a specific habitat type. These forests merge into one another in zones called ecotones, which creates edge habitat for various species of wildlife. Some animals, like the red squirrel, pine marten, and black bear spend most of their time in the forests. Others, such as moose, elk (also known as the wapiti), and wolves, seek the forest for shade and shelter during the day and move out to the brush or meadows to feed in the early mornings and evenings.

Soil conditions, availability of moisture, slope, aspect, and elevation all determine where plants grow. Plants that require similar conditions are often found growing in the same area. These associations form various plant communities. It is useful to divide the plants of Grand Teton National Park into the following communities: forests, sagebrush flats, riparian corridors and wetlands, and alpine areas.

Evergreen forests composed of 7 coniferous tree species and over 900 species of flowering plants dominate the mountainous part of the Teton Range below the treeline and extend into Jackson Hole on top of moraines. These compact piles of unsorted rubble have good clay content and retain moisture better than the quartzite-rich outwash plain and are thus able to support large stands of Lodgepole Pines along with many other plants.

Indian Paintbrush

The loose soil of the outwash plain has a poor ability to hold moisture, resulting in a sparse vegetation cover primarily made of sagebrush and coarse grasses. Abundant aspens, cottonwoods, and willows thrive along streams in riparian zones outside of the barren outwash plain. Wet meadows provide the conditions suited to grasses, sedges, and wildflowers. Coyotes and badgers dig burrows in patches of loesses, which were blown into the valley between ice ages. Although they appear gray and lifeless, the high alpine reaches of the park support plants specially adapted to the harsh growing conditions found there. Wind, snow, lack of soil, increased ultraviolet radiation, rapid and dramatic shifts in temperature, and a short growing season all challenge the hardy plants that survive here. Most plants adapt by growing close to the ground in mats like the Alpine Forget-me-not.

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